Skate wheel and method of producing same



L. GQ KNAPP March 24, 1936.

SKATE WHEEL AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Filed April 3, 1953 ETED STATES PATENT OFFICE SKATE WHEEL AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME Leland G. Knapp, Chicago, 111., assignor to Montgomery Ward & 00., Incorporated, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application April 3, 1933, Serial No. 664,145

6 Claims. (01. 208181) The primary object of the present invention is ture herein delineated, are believed to be preto improve the construction of wheels used with ferred embodiments thereof, it is to be underroller skates so as to render them more durable stood that the same are susceptible of various and lasting. changes in the form, proportion and minor de- As now constructed, wheels employed for the tails of the parts, and the steps of the methods,

purposes indicated wear out quickly. They are so that the present disclosure is to be considered 5 incapable of resisting the rough usage to which from the illustrative standpoint rather than as they are most commonly subjected, as when the impos tat o s 0n t e inventionuser skates upon cement and concrete walks and In the drawing:

other surfaces offering high abrasive action to Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a skate wheel con- 10 the wheels. In the general form and construcstructed in accordance with the present invention of skate wheels employed in the present-day tion; skate only a relatively small quantity of metal is Fig. 2 is a Vert cal t a verse Sect onal View present in their rims. This is due to the fact thereof, on an enlarg S 915 011 the line that the wheels are formed by stamping and of Fig. 15 d and the rims are constituted by over- Fig. 3 is also a transverse sectional view of the lapping layers which provide but little thickwheel, the viewpoint being at right angles to ness. The outer layer, therefore, receives the t at Of F s 011 the line of direct wear and when this outer layer becomes Fig. 4 is a disassociated sectional view of the Worn life of the wheel is gone. A ne heel components of the wheel, the balls being omitted. 20 must be substituted if the use of the skate is to R f r i ta l t t w the 1111- be continued. meral It designates an elongated sleeve, which The present invention aims to provide a novel constitutes the hub of the herein described wheel. form of skate wheel by which the obj tio d At the center of the sleeve H] is located a collar disadvantages above pointed out are overcome. l I, which is of integral fOrmatiOIl W t e S eeVe- 25 It contemplates a wheel wherein the rim is The periphery of the Collar II is formed W a formed of a single thickness of massed metal to w y tapering gIOOVe and this gTOOVe provide the necessary wear-resisting properties CeiVes a plura y of ba l3 Which are adapted to meet the rough usage to which th h l i to travel therein, and constitute the anti-fricsubjected, thereby strengthening the wheel and tioh bearings 0f the Wheel- 30 imparting to the same greater durability and Arranged at either side of the collar II is a longevity. disk [4, these disks being of complemental form A further object of the present invention is and eenstrlietiOn, and jointly comprising the the provision of a wheel of the character re- Web Of the Wheel- Each of the disks has a ferred to embodying in its construction such an Central Opening Which 15 of sufficient diameter 5 arrangement and organization of parts as will to receive oheehd 0f the hub Sleeve to permit the same to be manufactured t relatively permit the disks to freely rotate about said sleeve. low cost, and thus enable its use in the low priced Immediately adjacent to each of the openings l5 skates now found generally in commerce, the body of each of the disks is curved inwardly 40 A further object of the invention is the provito afford a contact area It, the inner faces of the 40 sion of novel methods of manufacture by which latte! bearing p the balls and thereby 5- the costs of production are reduced to the minitainine p p r v l n Contact b ween the mum, thereby c t ib ti t th availability of disks and the balls. Preferably, the contact faces the Wheel for the general use to which the same of the areas lie at an angle 0f pp e y is adapted. 45 to the vertical axis of the wheel, thereby in- 5 Other objects and advantages of the invention Suring a p p s pp t by the balls of the disks. will appear as the nature of the improvements is In contiguous relation to the contact area IS the better understood, the invention consisting subbodies of the disks l4 extend outwardly or radistantially in the novel construction and comally in straight lines to provide clamping areas b t of t t gether with the methods of I! of substantial length. In the assembled re- 50 manufacture, hereinafter fully described, illuslation of the disks the clamping areas II are trated in the accompanying drawing, and pointparallel with each other and embrace and lie ed out in the appended claims. upon an inwardly extending rigid attaching While the form of the invention herein shown flange l8 which is integral with and carried by and described, and the methods of its manufacthe rim or tread IQ of the wheel. The length of this flange I8 is substantially coextensive with that of the clamping areas H, the faces of the flange |8 thereby providing extended surfaces of support for these areas upon which to anchor the disks I4.

To fasten the clamping areas I! of the disks M to the flange IS a series of rivets 2|] is employed. These rivets extend through the flange i8 and the disks I l, and are upset in order to hold these parts in tight relation with respect to each other.

Each of the clamping areas I! of the disks I4 terminates in an angularly disposed annular supporting flange 2|, said flanges extending circumferentially of the disks l4, and being seated against the inner surface of the rim |9. The flanges 2| extend in divergent relation to each other, and thereby are projected in spaced relation to the flange H! of the rim I9, so that in this positioning of the flanges 2| they afford support for the rim H] at points intermediate of the flange l8 and the edges of the rim l9. Thus, the rim I9 is supported not only by the flange l8, through its engagement by the rivets 20 with the webs of the disks Hi, but the flanges 2| of these disks tightly engage the rim l9, and thereby support this rim at the sides of the flange I8. A greatly strengthened rim for the wheel thereby is provided, and the edges of the rim are supported against bending strains.

A closure cap 22 is provided for the wheel at the openings i5 of the disks 14. These caps are formed of sheet metal, the bodies thereof being dished so that the free edges rest upon the bowed contact areas IS in frictional engagement therewith. At the center of each of the caps 22 is an outwardly extending hub 23 formed with an inwardly extending flange 24 that projects at right angles to the hub 23. The flanges 24 abut against the ends of the sleeve l0, and provide openings at the centers of the closure caps 22 which receive the axle 25 of the wheel. It will be understood that the axle 25 is carried by the supporting bracket 26 of the body of the skate, the axle 25 being of sufficient length to carry at each of its ends one of the wheels in the usual manner. The axle 25 is provided with a head (not shown) at one of its ends, and a fastening nut 2'! at its other end. When, therefore, the wheels are assembled in coupled relation. on the axle 25 the tightening of the nut 21 to the desired extent will bind the axle 25 in stationary relation to the supporting bracket 26, and this likewise holds the sleeve Ill against rotation. The inner cap 22 being interposed between the supporting bracket 26 and the inner end of the sleeve l0, and the outer cap 22 being likewise interposed between the outer end of the sleeve HI and the nut 21, a washer 28 being arranged between the latter and the outer cap, the closure caps likewise are held in tight relation with respect to the sleeve l0 and do not rotate.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that the rim IQ of the wheel is of a single thickness of massed metal, which thickness may be increased or diminished to the desired extent, but of such degree of thickness as to aiford highresisting capacity to the rough surfaces over which. the wheel usually travels in the ordinary usage to which roller skates are subjected. In the wear exerted on the rim I9 the entire mass of the metal therein responds thereto, and even though the entire thickness of the rim may be worn away, and thereby expose the flanges 2|, these flanges still will serve as a rim for the wheel,

and as a bearing surface with which to contact the roadway over which the wheel is traveling. Moreover, by employing the flanges 2|, the inner side of the rim I9 is trussed against bending strains, and a solid structure is afforded in the assembled relation between the webs H1 in their engagement with the flange I8, and the contact of the flanges 2| with the rim l9. In this connection it is also observed that the diameter of each of the disks I4 is slightly greater than the diameter or distance of the space between the inner faces of the rim l9, and due to this, when the wheel is assembled, the disks l4 must be forced under pressure against the flange |8 into the position which they occupy in the assembled relation of the parts. This adds to the strength of the entire wheel structure.

In forming the herein described wheel the rim l9 with its supporting flange l8 is produced from a suitable sized body of metal heated to the desired degree, and subjected to the action of suitably formed forging dies. In this step the metal is manipulated by the dies so as to produce the flange |8 in its inwardly extended relation to the rim I9, the required amount of metal being massed in the rim to impart thereto the required thickness. Simultaneously with the formation of the flange l8 the centrally disposed opening formed by this flange is produced. The disks M are stamped to the configuration which they assume, and the closure caps 22 likewise are formed by stamping.

With the rim I9 and its supporting flange l8 thus produced, together with the disks l4 and the closure caps 22, the parts are assembled with the sleeve l0 upon the axle 25, one of the disks l4 being applied to the sleeve l0, whereupon the balls l3 are positioned in the runway or groove l2, and after this has been accomplished the other disk I4 is positioned within the rim 9, the rivets 2E completing the fastening of the disks to the supporting flange IS. The wheel is then ready for positioning on the axle, and for application of the closure caps 22 to the structure.

As an alternative method for the production of the rim of the wheel, the rim I9 may comprise an appropriate length or section of a tube, the walls of which are of the required thickness to impart the thickness desired for the rim i9. The supporting flange |8 may comprise a centrally perforated disk of a diameter to fit within the rim IS. The disk thus selected is introduced to the inside of the rim I9 at the central portion thereof between the edges of the rim, and the rim l9 and the disk subjected to a welding heat of sufflcient degree to fuse the disk and the rim together. In such fused relation the flange |8 becomes integral with the rim l9, and the solidified structure of these parts as illustrated in Fig. 2 results. After the rim and the flange have been brought together in the manner just described the other parts of the wheel are assembled with respect to the rim and its flange in the manner above indicated as when the rim I9 and its flange l8 are formed by forging.

The present invention sharply distinguishes from the construction of skate wheel now commonly employed because of the single thickness of the rim I8 which, by such single thickness, masses the metal in the rim. The wear is received by this massed metal, and because of the thickness of the same it isobvious that there is greater durability and longevity to the wheel, with greater wear-resisting properties to meet the rough usage to which the wheel is subjected.

In producing the herein described wheel structure the rim I9 is pack hardened or case hardened so as to further increase its wear-resisting properties without rendering the same of such brittleness as to break under the wear to which it is subjected. The disks 14 are also hardened to increase their strength. Preferably, this is effected by cyanide hardening.

I claim:

1. In a wheel of the class described, the combination with an integral rim of required thickness for resisting the wear to which the same is subjected, and an inwardly extending rigid attaching flange arranged at the inner face of the rim and integral with the latter, of a plurality of disks arranged within the rim and disposed at opposite sides of said flange, said disks embracing and lying upon said flange, each of said disks being provided with a peripheral flange seated against the inner face of the rim, whereby to support the latter at the sides of said inwardly extending flange, and means for connecting said inwardly extending flange of the rim and said disks.

2. In a wheel of the class described, the combination with an integral rim of required thickness for resisting the wear to which the same. is subjected, and an inwardly extending rigid attaching flange arranged at the inner face of the rim and integral with the latter, of a plurality of disks arranged within the rim and disposed at opposite sides of said flange, said disks embracing and lying upon said flange, each of said disks being provided with a peripheral flange extending at an angle to the disk and seated against the inner face of the rim, whereby to support the latter at the sides of said inwardly extending flange, and means for connecting said inwardly extending flange of the rim and said disks.

3. In a wheel of the class described, the combination with an integral rim of required thickness for resisting the wear to which the same is subjected, and an inwardly extending rigid attaching flange arranged at the inner face of the rim and integral with the latter, of a plurality of disks arranged within the rim and disposed at opposite sides of said flange, each of said disks being provided with a peripheral flange extending at an angle to the disk and seated against the inner face of the rim, whereby to support the latter at the sides of said inwardly extending flange, the webs of said disks adjacent to said peripheral flanges extending in parallel relation with and embracing the inwardly extending flange of the rim, and means for connecting said inwardly extending flange of the rim and said disks.

4. In a wheel of the class described, the combination with an integral tread, and an inwardlyextending rigid attaching flange arranged at the inner face of the tread and integral with the latter, of a pair of disks arranged within the tread at opposite sides of said flange and constituting the web of the wheel, the bodies of said disks including radially-extending parallel clamping areas of substantial length which embrace and lie upon said flange, the latter being substantially coextensive in length with that of the clamping areas, whereby the faces of said flange provide extended surfaces of support for said clamping areas upon which to anchor said disks, and means for connecting the clamping areas of the disks with said attaching flange.

5. In a wheel of the class described, the combination with an integral tread, and an inwardly-extending rigid attaching flange arranged at the inner face of the tread and integral with the latter, of a pair of disks arranged within the tread at opposite sides of said flange and constituting the web of the wheel, the bodies of said disks including radially-extending parallel clamping areas of substantial length which embrace and lie upon, said flange, the latter being substantially coextensive in length with that of the clamping areas, whereby the faces of said flange provide extended surfaces of support for said clamping areas upon which to anchor said disks, each of said disks also being provided with a peripheral flange extending at an angle to the disk and seated against the inner face of the tread to support the tread at the sides of the inwardly-extending flange, and means for connecting the clamping areas of the disks with said attaching flange.

6. In a wheel of the class described, the comv bination with an integral rim of required thickness for resisting the wear to which the same is subjected, and an inwardly-extending rigid attaching flange arranged at the inner face of the rim and integral with the latter, of a plurality of disks arranged within the rim and disposed at opposite sides of said flange, said disks embracing and lying upon said flange, each of said disks being provided with a peripheral flange seated against the inner face of the rim, whereby to support the latter at the sides of said inwardlyextending flange, the, diameter of each of said disks being slightly greater than the internal diameter of said rim, thereby requiring the disks to be forced under pressure against the flange of the rim into the position occupiedby the disks in the assembled relation of the parts, and means for connecting said flange of the rim and said disks.

LELAND G. KNAPP. 

